25 August 1956 “Awww, nutz…NO, Doughnuts!”

This morning I made doughnuts for hubby and my breakfast. I made the cake doughnut as opposed to the yeast-raised doughnut. Both are very good ( I am partial to a hot plate of fresh yeast-raised dredged in sugar!) but the cake is an easier and quicker doughnut to make, as there is no waiting for the dough to rise.
This is the good advice from my Betty Crocker Cook Book and here is their recipe for Cake Doughnuts.
(Click to enlarge) It is a very good recipe. Today I used this version which makes less doughnuts overall.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 3/8 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 quart oil for deep frying
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Stir the vinegar into the milk, and let stand for a few minutes until thick.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture alternating with the vinegar and milk. Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/3 inch thickness. Cut into doughnuts using a donut cutter. Let stand for about 10 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fry doughnuts in the hot oil until golden, turning over once. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners' sugar while they are still warm, and serve immediately.

However, in both recipes I use either Butter or Lard never shortening. I have stopped using it awhile ago and prefer butter and lard, as they are both more natural and I think taste SO much better.
Here they are being rolled out. Here is a lovely close up showing the softness of the dough as it waits it’s 15 minutes before it is popped into its hot oil bath: I thought this shot of our demolished plate of doughnuts was rather cute, as you can see the fun starburst pattern on my platter. And here are two close-ups showing the texture and color of these delicious little deadlies. I use my mother’s vintage 1950’s donut cutter (which has the little removable center for the hole so I also use it for my biscuits and scones.) Not only does this give me an authentic vintage doughnut size, it is wonderful for your appetite, because two of these doughnuts are propably not as big as a modern doughnut, but you feel as if you are eating more. These are also good in the glaze made of melted butter, confectioners sugar and vanilla extract. As well as just confectioners sugar or cinnamon and sugar or even plain.
I think a cake doughnut, such as these, have a longer shelf life/taste ratio. These will be fine tomorrow and the next day kept under my cake plate, while a yeast raised tends to not taste as good the next day. The chickens love these, when there are ever any left for them (which is not often!)
This movie from the 1950’s about doughnuts is a riot. It  is funny and fun to watch, so take some time to do so. I love the tongue in cheek approach of the narrator as he discusses the ‘streamline looks and various exteriors’ available for this mass produced product. Saying such things in a great booming voice as “ A Free Man in a Free World, Free to Dunk!” And discussing the Dunking addict the “Dunkomaniac” who ‘can’t take one dunk and quit”. And of course, the Donut of Tomorrow, The “Super Absorbent Atomic Donut”! It is all quite funny, so do watch.
There are also some great images of 50’s Diners indoors and good shots of vintage dishes and vacuum pots of coffee and some cute hats.

In all seriousness, though, the chain donut shop was born, among many of our modern things, in the 1950’s. The local bakery was soon to see the stiff competition of the ‘chain restaurant’ and this included that Pure American Food: The Donut.
In my neck of the woods, there is Dunkin Donuts: that behemoth of a donut chain that has seem to swallow up every corner in various towns here on the Cape, unfortunately. The very first Dunkin Donuts, shown in the image above, was created in 1950 in Quincy Massachusetts, by William Rosenberg.
This year, in 1956, Mister Donut was started. It was meant to be competition for Dunkin Donuts. It later was bought out by the company and today its now owned and run in Japan and the Philippines. Krispy Kreme (Which I have to admit I love much more than Dunkin Donuts but sadly have been all but run out of MA) was mainly in the south and south-eastern US. I would not have access to them in 1956 unless I were to travel that direction.
Some of the small mom and pop places did survive. Here in my home state of Massachusetts, Kane’s Donuts, which was started in 1955 in Saugus, is still going today.
No matter how you eat it, dunk it, or prefer it :Plain or Coated in everything, The doughnut is definitely an American Institution.
Try making some of your own, because a hot doughnut in the morning is wonderful. And the look on faces as they head to the kitchen and get a wonderful scent of those cooking delights is worth the work.

24 August 1956 “The invention of Ant Farms, The Demise of Real Farms, and Refrigerators Here and Abroad”

At a Fourth of July family picnic this year,1956, Milton Levine came up with the idea for the Ant Farm.

You can actually buy the reproduction of this ant farm today. I put it in the corner store under vintage child  HERE. I know I don’t have a child, but I might actually get one for my desk. Have any of you had an ant farm before?

Now, for real farms. There is a very definite downward trend in number of actual farmers:

In 1940 18% of American labor force was farmers. By the end of the 1950’s that had dropped to 8%. However the size of the farm and the amount of irrigated acreage increased. 1940 it was Number of farms: 6,102,000; average acres: 175; irrigated acres: 17,942,968 while in 1959 Number of farms: 3,711,000; average acres: 303; irrigated acres: 33,829,000.

In 1933, American Historian Louis M. Hacker wrote an article the title of which has been much quoted: The Farmer is Doomed. He concluded that article with the following remark:

‘American commercial agriculture is doomed. No gifts of clairvoyance are required to foretell that the future of the American farmer is the characteristic one of all peasants for whom, in our present system of society, there is no hope.’

This bit from an article on agriculture I read from this year (1956) is interesting in its predictions:

CERTAINLY, the commercial family-farm group will continue to decrease. At the very moment when the Census Bureau was releasing its figures showing the depth of the drop as of 1954, the farm pundits strongly influential in federal policy were pointing out that the number of farmers in 1955 is far too great. And the bulging warehouses holding $7.5 billion in surplus farm products – in spite of the Eisenhower administration’s reduction of price levels at which it would buy these products – seemed to prove the point. It is estimated that the nation needs, instead of its present three and one-third million commercial farms, only two, or even one and one-half, million.

However, then they did not know or even comprehend the immense amount of food grown outside the US and shipped in. Such a concept was not conceivable yet, and still they could see the ‘writing on the wall’ for the small farmer. The exodus from the farm to the city or the suburbs was on. The ‘future’ it was told was to those with college education and mental power over physical. It is interesting to note, I think, that today we see many people wanting a return to the simplicity of small local farms to try and undo what has been done by the large corporation farm and industry. Yet, I sometimes worry, that we have let the behemoth go too far on its lead and we cannot control it any longer. We are not longer in control and hopefully can look to little David and recall how he felled Goliath. We must remember this when we shop or even when we plant our flower beds, maybe opting for some tomatoes or lettuce in lieu of daisies.

Now, after we buy our garden fresh food, we need to keep it fresh. The Refrigerator, of course! In 1956 80% of American homes had refrigerators while in the UK it was only 8%!

We American’s must remember that rationing was still going on in the UK into the 1950’s. While we were dreaming or actually buying such mammoths as theseOr innovative solutions such as this or this, Most likely the UK icebox was more than likely the small models from the 20’s and 30’s.And while we were learning to fill our fridges to the brim Europe was happy to have enough food to fill the few shelves of their actual Ice Boxes. I wonder if these early days of Madison Avenue advertising were the beginning of our present day America of over-indulgence. Before the War we were not likely to ‘stuff our faces or our pantries’, but the fear of the war rationing and the sudden over abundance coupled with lovely ads in magazines and TV sponsors changed that.

Of course, those of you in 2010 know full well the result of this abundance and increased corporate world: The diabetic child with the shorter lifespan than those here in 1956. We must, I feel, learn moderation. We have allowed our American identity to be packaged and resold to us as we now see it, but it was not always this way. We were once frugal people who were in touch with the land and our families. Let us, again, not forget David and Goliath.

23 August 1956 “I Am Proud That My Silhouette is Curvy…I Adore Being Dressed In Something Frilly…I Adore Being A Girl”

I was thinking about my last post and uniforms. And also considering all your responses, which I was surprised no one scolded me and said, “Don’t be silly casual is better”. I think many of we modern gals (and gents) do appreciate dressing up. We appreciate and admire clothes. Many of us, when we watch old movies or even modern shows like Mad Men, do so in many ways because of the clothes and sets. Yet, there is nothing stopping any of us from having such ‘sets’ and clothes in our daily life. As someone who did dress very modern I have to say my overall body image and simple daily joy has increased 100%.

I  find that there is no ‘modern look’. I mean there may be skinny jeans or slouchy tops, or those tight fitting sweat pant thingies I always see teens and mums alike wear (which are shockingly tight in certain areas!) Yet, there is no “go to” silhouette for today. I think many of us may also find ourselves sometimes wondering, “Well what should I wear?” While it seems in the 1950’s one KNEW what to wear. Dinner and dancing? Hat, evening/cocktail clothes, man in white dinner jacket. Movies? Nice cotton dress, cardigan, hat gloves. You just knew and there was a look.

I now find that by allowing myself the entire decade of the 1950’s my choices are great, yet narrowed to a certain silhouette. This really allows one to build a wardrobe and style quite easily and to not worry about being ‘out of style’. And for any sneers, I have probably received 80% more compliments and encouragements.

Let’s face it gals, we like to dress up. Lace and petticoats, frills and bows, or even slim lined boucle suits or fitted jackets. We ENJOY being a girl , as the song goes:

( I also love this Doris Day version of that song, but I could not embed it, but go HERE if you would like to hear it.) Think how many gals love to plan their wedding, imagine their prom or dream up ‘dress up’ evenings. Well, not long ago, we gals had that ‘dress up’ time every day of our life! Sure, it is wonderful that we have the choice to wear what we like today, but that also means we can choose the petticoat and creamy chiffon dress as easily and rightfully as the jeans and T. “As the song says, I enjoy be curvy! I enjoy being dressed in something frilly!”

Speaking of dresses, here is my latest finished dress.I used the same pattern as I did for my dress with the stiff collar. However, this time I wanted to use to types of fabric to almost make a new design. I was only able to get a small amount of this lovely blue dot fabric. So, I chose a cotton to match the lighter blue dot (there are red white and blue dots). It made it a bit tricker, but was worth it in the end.

I also wanted to have a different neckline than the pattern gave me as options, so I used my trusty home-made mannequin. Here you can see that I simply cut the bodice as the pattern called for and then, after placing it on the mannequin, used the large ric-rac to drape a new neckline.I wanted the back to sweep down a bit and come to a point. Here is the finished result in the back.I think it a rather flattering neckline and when I wear my hair up in a French twist, it looks lovely. This also gives you the opportunity to wear a darling vintage necklace that has say a jewel or some little cameo or something that hangs off the clasp. I have one triple strand of pearls that has a clasp shaped into a rose made of albacore shell. These little details get highlighted with such necklines. It also has a gal keeping her eye out for fun vintage jewelry with cunning little clasps.

Rather you are going grocery shopping or just having the gals over for coffee, why not have fun with your clothing. Make the ‘uniform of your life’ be what you like and want to wear.

It IS fun to be frilly and curvy!

   

(photo from myvintagevogue)And don’t forget your hat, gloves, and jewelry. Have fun gals.

Until tomorrow, Happy Homemaking.

22 August 1956 “Who are the People in Your Neighborhood”

I thought it would be fun on this fine Sunday morning, here in 1956, to share with you the types of uniforms and people I would meet during my days.

The homemaker and the postman.

The milkman. The milkman around my New England Area. HERE is an interesting article about Hood and New England in milk delivery heyday.

The gas station attendant. Yes, ladies, that is a bow tie and long sleeve shirt. I am sure his wife pressed those trousers for him, as well.

The supermarket checker. She dons a lovely dress-like uniform over her clothing. The young baggers would also be in a bow tie and a hat especially when they show up at the door with a delivery in a wooden box for me.

 The Butchers.  Though they wouldn’t greet customers in these dirty aprons, I love that even while working the men have ties and the ladies skirts. I think, because it is so normal to me now, that I really don’t think it odd for people to wear what is now considered ‘formal’ attire to do basic chores. I clean in my dresses all the time and not just my house dresses. I even garden in a skirt more often than my dungarees. I guess I just don’t understand how it is any more difficult to put on a pair of nice cotton trousers as opposed to jeans for men (hubby feels the same way). In fact when we are doing yard work hubby has ‘work pants’ that would be considered ‘dress up’ today, I am sure. Just heavy duty cotton. I guess when you become accustomed to something it seems normal. But, when I see photos of us or sometimes just realize these moments, it does make my life feel better or more special. Sometimes the simplest things such as what you wear really can affect your life and your over all outlook. It seems we are always chasing the special time and perfect image while we, ourselves, may be rather tatty in old jeans and T’s. I think the ‘special’ times should be our every day.

Uniforms were just part of the day in the 1950’s. Your Doctor might have this button up full top their version of scrubs, I believe or tie under a more jacket type uniform. Nurses, as well, had uniforms with darling little hats. I have to say, for me, I like the look of this rather than the garish over colored and odd imaged smocks and scrubs I see nurses wear today, but that’s just me. Certainly one could say comfort, but how did these people, for their entire career, work in these clothes? Simple, the idea of comfort and ‘relaxing’ was meant to be at home or on holiday. You were ready, professional and looked a certain ‘part’ in your line of work and your slouchy pajamas and comfortable shoes were for home with family. Even then, pajamas and robes and dressing gowns were more a ‘home uniform’ than today. I am sure many people simply sleep in their under things.

Now, I am not saying there is some moralistic or ‘being a better person’ associated with ‘dressing the part’, only it seems, to me at least, to make one’s life feel more important or real. There is a certain personal dignity and feeling of worth and joy in dressing the part. We are such a covetous generation, watching shows about wealthy people and drooling over nice clothes and objects, yet we can, very realistically, have these things as part of our daily life. And not break the bank in so doing. A few nice things for your various occasions and tasks is better than a closet full of 25 pair of jeans that, technically, all look the same.

It isn’t for nothing that so many of us enjoy looking at old photos. Or feel something special when watching vintage TV shows. Because we see in them something we want to possess and take on into our own lives. And, I am telling you, clothes, outfits, uniforms of life, they honestly make a difference. They can make your day feel more special. Many people love the show Mad Men mostly for the clothes and interiors. Well, you know what, we can have those things. As there really is not set ‘fashion’ for the day anymore (except jeans and t-shirts) why not make your wardrobe what you would like it to be. If you love Doris Day movies, then why not live one as best you can. You might find yourself happy over things you would think silly and caring less about things you cannot control.

Even this image, which shows two ladies in casual clothes in the late 40s, can show the style of simplicity. The woman on the left is in trousers, a halter top and saddle shoes. But look how ‘put together’ she looks even in this ‘gad about’ outfit. And I am sure she would not wear this to the movies or out to dinner. For that, she would dress up because it feels good and you are worth it.

I just think if we look at our lives more seriously they can actually be more fun. Because, to allow ourselves the ‘right’ to dress up for occasions and work gives our life that missing element we modern people seem to lack en masse: Style. The amount of time we take to watch tv, play on the computer or text could easily be shared with a few minutes to get ready, do our hair, put on that slip and dress. Hey, why not even pop a hat on every now and then?

I didn’t mean for this post to be a ‘lecture on dressing’ far from it. I just wanted to share some fun photos of what I would encounter in my 1956 life from people in my day from grocers to doctors to the gals outside the grocery store. Fun and inspirational, I think.

So, when we see an old family photo such as this (thanks to jewelsfiles) We realize, even something is casual as an at home birthday for just the immediate family still was an occasion to look our best. The mother and daughters are in lovely dresses though it is just a family affair.

I think there is a lot to be said for our appearance. We spend so much more today on clothing and yet look so much less put together.

Well, enjoy the fun images on this Sunday morning here in 1956.

Until tomorrow, then, Happy Homemaking.

21 August 1956 “Some Fun Tid-Bits from 1956”

I thought for today I would post some fun random happenings and items from this year, 1956.

i-Pod, CD player, cassette, 8-track, radio? Yes, they even, back in 1956, were thinking of how we could ‘take along’ the music we wanted to hear.

“In 1956 they teamed with CBS to create the “Highway Hi-Fi” – an under-dash phonograph that played vinyl records at a super-slow 16-2/3 revolutions per minute. The slow speed allowed a small disc to pack up to an hour of entertainment on each side. Special mechanical engineering reduced the number of times and distance the needle would skip across the disc as the car drove over bumps in the road.”

Here is Elvis ‘at home’ in 1956. This year Elvis is really gaining popularity. He is still not quite the superstar he will become, but I would definitely know who someone was talking about when they mention his name. Here you can see he is enjoying a modest home with good success. I wonder, sometimes, if superstars and mega singers, if their lives would have been better off if they could have made a ‘decent’ living and lived comfortably but not insanely wealthy so quickly. It often lead to others taking advantage and a destructive lifestyle (which was certainly the case with Elvis). Sometimes I think the ‘Get it all’ dream of wealth and fame is often the path to self-destruction. Who knows, if Elvis had been a good stable mid range star (in a world where we did not have Super Stars but many talented people we could enjoy that got paid good salaries and were not marketed into a product) He might still be around today, crooning and singing for us.

This is a 1956 VW bus. It seemed odd to me, because we so often associate the VW bus with the 60’s hippie generation. But, I suppose they were not buying brand new assembly line buses, so I am sure many of these became hand painted with flowers and sayings in another 10 or 15 years.

Here is the lovely Marilyn Monroe this year (1956) on Long Island, NY. You have to appreciate a gal who is sexy when she is as full bodied as Marilyn. Her thighs and her bottom, even her arms and back would probably be considered ‘chubby’ today. And can you imagine how unflattering even she would look in modern bikini’s of thin strips of fabric ill-placed? There is a lot to be said for the vintage 50’s suit both in comfort and style.

Bobby Fischer at age 13 here in 1956, is beginning to get noticed for his Chess genius.

“By the age of 13, Fischer's talents were already gaining notice. In a feature story filed in 1956, a journalist wrote, "While his hands may be fidgety, the eighth grader's eyes are riveted on the chessboard before him. His goal is the U.S. National Chess Championships, and he's made an excellent start toward it."

 This is Diana Dors, The UK version of Marilyn Monroe, leaving Cannes film festival this year (1956). She made film and even had her own tv show in the UK

Well, there you go, some fun little tidbits from this year to peruse over your Saturday.

Until tomorrow, Happy Homemaking.